Improvement in harvester-frames



UNITED STATESl PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY F. MANN, OF WESTVILLE, INDIANA.

IM PROVEM ENT IN HARVESTER-FRAM ES.

Specifica-tion forming part of Letters Patent No. 15,0l3, dated June 3, 1856.

To all whom t may concern:

vBe it known that I, HENRXT F. MANN, of Westville, in the county of Laporte and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Construction of Har vester-Frames; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, making a part thereof, in' which- Figure` 1 represents a view from one side of the machine. Fig. 2 represents a view from the opposite side thereof. Fig. 3 represents a top plan.

Similar letters, where they occur in the several figures, denote like parts in all.

I am aware that harvester-frames have beenA rear of the'supporting or driving wheel so as to give a good bearing to the pinion-shaft, and which enables me to group the driving machinery in a compact form, as will be explained.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to dei scribe thesame with reference to the drawings.

A represents the main supporting-wheel, thejournals ot' which run in suitable bearings on the two side pieces, B G, of the frame. These side pieces, B C, in advance of the journals of the wheel A, are parallel with each other, and lie in nearly a horizontal position, being united by an end piece, D, at their front ends; but in rear of thejonrnals they both dip at different inclinations toward the ground. The one, B, Fig. 2, inclines down, and is fastened immediately to the nger-bar E. The other, C, Fig. l, is rst curved downward and then inclines slightly, and is supported by an upright, F, which is bolted to it and to the finger-bar E. Abraee, H, extends from thelower end of the upright F to the side piece C. Another brace, G, runs from the finger-bar E to the front end of the frame, and this constitutes the frame.

0n one of the journals of the main wheel A is a cog-wheel, I, which takes into a pinion, a, on the pinion-shaft b, and gives motion to said shaft. The shaft b has its bearings on the side piece C, and has the same or nearly the same inclination as said side piece, for a purpose to be presently described. On the extreme rear end of the shaft b is a bevel-gear, J, which meshes with and gives motion to a pinion, c, on the crank-shaft d, to the crank on which shaft the cutter-bar is connected. The crank-shaft d is driven at a very high velocity, and unless made extremely heavy is liable to spring or vibrate by its speed, and such springing almost invariably ends in breaking the drive-wheel or pinion. The object therefore in inclining the side piece C is to give the pinion-shaft b not only a permanent bea-ring immediately upon said side piece, but also to dip said shaft so as to bring its Wheel J iu close proximity' to the crank itself, Where the pinion c is arranged. Thus a compact form is given to the gearing, and a short crank-shaft may be used, which of course is less liable to spring than a long one.

e is a roller behind the finger-bar to keep the bar slightly raised from the ground.

K is the tongue by which the machine is drawn.

By constructing the frame as herein described I make a strong, Well-balanced machine with an exceedingly light frame, and group the whole ofthe driving machinery into a very compact form. K

Having thus fully described the nature of my invention, what I claim therein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

Inclining the rear portions ofthe side pieces, B C, so that the shaft b may lie upon and have the same dip with the one G, on which it is supported, for the double purpose of giving said shaft a firm support and to bringits drivewheel J close down to the pinion on the crankshaft, substantially in the manner and for the purposes set forth.

H. F. MANN.

Witnesses A. B. SroUGHToN, T. H. UPPERMAN. 

